Post-COVID-19 chronic fatigue syndrome following the first pandemic wave in Germany and biomarkers associated with symptom severity
German researchers compared ME/CFS and long COVID patients and found even mild C-19 can lead to PEM. Almost half of the LC patients met the criteria for ME/CFS. The other half had a similar but less severe reaction to exertion, but the physiological changes in LC and ME/CFS immune system functioning were found to be different.
A prospective observational study of post-COVID-19 chronic fatigue syndrome following the first pandemic wave in Germany and biomarkers associated with symptom severity, by C Kedor, H Freitag, L Meyer-Arndt, K Wittke, LG Hanitsch, T Zoller, F Steinbeis, M Haffke, G. Rudolf, B Heidecker, T Bobbert, J Spranger, HD Volk, C Skurk, F Konietschke,
F Paul, U Behrends, J Bellmann-Strobl & C Scheibenbogen , in Nature Communications vol 13, no. 5104 (2022), 30 August 2022
Research abstract:
A subset of patients has long-lasting symptoms after mild to moderate Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In a prospective observational cohort study, we analyze clinical and laboratory parameters in 42 post-COVID-19 syndrome patients (29 female/13 male, median age 36.5 years) with persistent moderate to severe fatigue and exertion intolerance six months following COVID-19. Further we evaluate an age- and sex-matched postinfectious non-COVID-19 myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome cohort comparatively.
Most post-COVID-19 syndrome patients are moderately to severely impaired in daily live. 19 post-COVID-19 syndrome patients fulfill the 2003 Canadian Consensus Criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.
Disease severity and symptom burden is similar in post-COVID-19 syndrome/ myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome and non-COVID-19/ myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome patients.
Hand grip strength is diminished in most patients compared to normal values in healthy. Association of hand grip strength with hemoglobin, interleukin 8 and C-reactive protein in post-COVID-19 syndrome/non-myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and with hemoglobin, N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide, bilirubin, and ferritin in post-COVID-19 syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome may indicate low level inflammation and hypoperfusion as potential pathomechanisms.
Comment:
Laboratory Equipment: Scientists link mild COVID-19 to CFS
